New financial reports show that the campaigns of Harford County's two top elected officials, County Executive Eileen M. Rehrmann and the incoming County Council president, Joanne S. Parrott, were heavily financed by developers, landowners and builders who have an interest in the comprehensive rezoning due in 1996.
Mrs. Parrott, a Republican who edged out Democratic challenger and growth-control advocate Theresa M. Pierno by 1,402 votes, spent about $74,000 to Mrs. Pierno's $54,000, according to the reports filed last week.
In the two weeks before the Nov. 8 general election or just after, Mrs. Parrott received about $9,000 from political action committees representing home builders, Realtors and contractors in addition to individual donations throughout the campaign. She spent more than $47,000 -- 35 percent of her campaign fund -- in the final days of the race, according to the reports.
After Oct. 24, Mrs. Parrott spent more than $25,000 on advertising -- 10 times what Mrs. Pierno spent on ads during the same period.
Mrs. Pierno received less than $1,500 in PAC money during her entire campaign. Most contributions listed on her latest financial report were less than $1,000, and many less than $100.
Campaign reports for both Mrs. Parrott and Mrs. Rehrmann read like a Who's Who of Harford developers and major landowners. Major individual contributors common to both campaigns include Abingdon developer and landowner Robert C. Ward, Lutherville developer Morris H. Wolf, roads contractor T. C. Simons Inc. of Fallston, and Perryman landowner and Upper Chesapeake Health System Chairman Frederick O. Mitchell.
Mrs. Rehrmann, a Democrat elected to her second four-year term with 62 percent of the vote, spent nearly $300,000 during her successful campaign against Republican challenger Ronald M. Szczybor. That is the most of any Harford politician during this year's election cycle, but about $50,000 less than Mrs. Rehrmann spent in the 1990 campaign.
Mrs. Rehrmann also received $1,000 from Gov. William Donald Schaefer's campaign fund and similar contributions from friends the lame-duck governor. The contributions include $2,000 from Grasmick Acceptance Corp. of Baltimore, a company run by Louis J. Grasmick, husband of state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick; $1,000 from John Paterakis, a Baltimore businessman and president of H&S; Bakery Inc.; and a total of $4,000 from three members of the prominent Knott family.
Mr. Szczybor, who frequently criticized Mrs. Rehrmann as a friend of developers and Schaefer Democrats, raised just $4,000 in the days before the general election, compared with Mrs. Rehrmann's nearly $79,000.
During the entire campaign, Mr. Szczybor spent about $51,000, including $21,000 of his own money, records show.
In other council races, candidates spent widely varying amounts. Spending more paid off for some. For others, it didn't as Republicans swept the seven council seats.
After Mrs. Parrott, Republican Mark S. Decker spent the most among council candidates: $37,000, including nearly $14,000 in the final two weeks. He won by 19 percentage points over Democrat John F. Haggerty in the District C race.
Mr. Haggerty spent $3,500 in his entire campaign.
On the other hand, incumbent Republican Susan B. Heselton, signed an affidavit stating that she would spend less than $300 on her campaign. Still, she beat Democrat Habern Dean Freeman, who spent nearly $9,300, by nearly 8 percentage points.
Other council candidates spent between $1,000 and $17,000 each.
Democrat Robert E. Comes, who lost his seat as county sheriff, outspent his challenger, Republican Joseph P. Meadows. Mr. Comes spent nearly $54,000 on his campaign; Mr. Meadows about $41,000.
Despite his edge in spending, Mr. Comes, who had been dogged by allegations of mismanagement and the suspicious death of a county jail inmate, lost by a margin of 65 percent to 34 percent. Mr. Meadows became the first Republican elected sheriff in Harford in 40 years.
In the local State House races, Democrat William H. Amoss, who retained his District 35 Senate seat, was the big spender with nearly $145,000 overall.
Mr. Amoss shared top billing in PAC money flowing to State House candidates with Del. Donald C. Fry, a Democrat representing District 35A, who also retained his seat. Each received about $22,000 in PAC money.
In contrast, Harford's other in-coming state senator, Republican David S. Craig of District 34, reported receiving just $55 in PAC money during his campaign.
Mr. Craig, a former mayor of Havre de Grace, beat incumbent Democrat Habern W. Freeman Jr., a former county executive, by 54 percent to 45 percent.
Mr. Craig spent nearly $50,000 to Mr. Freeman's $36,000.
Republican Nancy Jacobs, who received the most votes of six candidates running for three House of Delegates seats in District 34, spent the most of any of the top contenders -- nearly $14,000 -- during the final days before the election.
Mrs. Jacobs, a conservative, reported spending about $35,000 during her entire campaign.
Incumbent Democratic Del. Mary Louise Preis spent about $50,000 overall, or the most of any District 34 House candidate.
The other winner in District 34, incumbent Democratic Del. Rose Mary Hatem Bonsack spent about $30,000 overall. She spent less than $3,000 after Oct. 24.